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The CPAN Chess League: Season 3 Begins

The third (3rd) Season of The CPAN Chess League began with some interesting changes in the tournament rules, which was communicated to all team captains with the expectation that they would communicate same to their various players. Each team comprised of unlimited number of players in the first two (2) editions of the league, but this time around, it was reduced to twelve (12) players per team, which still included at least one (1) under 16 player and a female player.

There is now a walk over time of one (1) hour after the start of the tournament, which was not in the first 2 seasons. Some players even came during those periods at two (2) mins to the end of their time and started playing. This, the organizers believed is affecting the reputation of the league hence placed the check in order to increase the reputation of the league. It is no longer business as usual but a serious business.

Twelve (12) teams registered for the tournament. Facility Control who is the defending champion of the league are in to win it again, while the Evergreen Team believe they would do wonders this time around. Not to mention the Deciphers’ team that had to call for reinforcement after checking their performance in their previous season, and they were able to land FM Osunfuyi Abimbola as the ignition to spark up everyone in the team and lead them to victory.

The Outliers team had a little hiccup in the team, when their top player Akinwamide Oluwadamilare left for the Blue Ocean team. Guess the latter team had a better offer and more known players representing them. The Captain of Outlier in person of Adewale Adelaja believes they would pull surprises with the abrupt changes in their team list as they did in the last season, where they finished third (3rd) on the table.

An all girls team following the idea of Grandmaster Judith Polgar, who is on a cause for encouraging female players to play the royal game, was created by Coach Boyo Paul who also recognized some potential female players and would want them to participate at the top level of Nigerian chess. He also brought another team comprising of teenagers called the Junior Terminators.

Team YabaTech College Sponsored by the CPAN President, Ms Ayokanmi Ajayi, also feature in this event. This is believed, would help the players achieve the best results in the upcoming Nigerian Polytechnic Games. JING Design Build sponsored University of Lagos Team for the league. This is also expected to improve the players of the University for the upcoming Nigerian University Games.

A new team all the way from the Southern part of Nigeria, emerged with the name Chess Zits. This team is led by Mr. Ezinna Lovejoy who was able to bag the highest rated player in the country in person of FM Kigigha Bomo and bring him to the league, after the first (1st) season where young Oyelabi Jonathan against all odds drew with the player. Another highly notable player in the team is Obubele Koko (Double Knights Master), who has won more tournaments in the South-South region of the country in the past year, than most. Check the player’s list for more.

Before the Start of the rounds, there was a team captain’s meeting, chaired by the League Secretary in person of Oyeleye Olawale. The only missing team captain or representative at the meet was that of Chesszits. Most of their players were en-route to Lagos as at the time of the meeting.

ROUND 1 Report

Junior Terminator played Team Saxx in the first round and lost not without snatching two draws from their opponents. Tobiloba Ogunsanya held Ayokanmi Ajayi to a draw on board 2 while Ajuh John held Damilola Ojo to a draw on board 4 to secure the one (1) point out of a possible six (6) in the round.

Hope for Girls held Team Yabatech to a draw, thanks to two Yabatech players who were walked over in the round and Ugheighele Assurance, who lost against Alade Oluwasegun, was eventually gifted the full point due to a board order rule, which the opposing team flouted. Chess sensation defeated Team Unilag with just a point difference. With Unilag’s Izuogu Mickey defeating veteran chess player Oyeneyin Tajudeen, Alex Ayomide’s opponent lost due to a walkover, while Salami Timmy held Agusto Abdulrahman to a draw.

Facility Control controlled the Deciphers by a full point as the team’s junior player lost to Toritsemuwa Ofowino (The Men Beater) in a draw looking endgame, because he flouted the rule of setting his clock by himself despite the clear and continuous warning from the Chief Arbiter at the beginning of the round. The game between the duo went past the required tournament stoppage time, hence the inquisition into their game (by the arbiter), as it was the last game standing. When asked “who set his clock?”, the junior player said Coach Boyo Paul did, which the latter declined as he was not an arbiter in the event, hence not having the right to set any board’s chess clock. It was a painful loss for the young man but a lifetime lesson was learnt.

Chesszits completely lost to the Outliers team based on the fact that Chesszits team were en-route to Lagos from PortHarcourt on the day of the tournament. There was no prior information to the organizers that they would not be able to make the first round, which would have necessitated a reschedule of their match against their opponent to another day. The clocks were set, boards arranged, and they all lost by time default, which was one (1) hour after the start of the round. The team captain of Chesszits tried soliciting for a match reschedule with Outliers which the latter declined, because the captain did not ask apologetically. The matter was reported and an Appeal’s committee was set up which comprised of all Team Captain’s and the Secretary of the league exempting the two teams involved. The Appeal’s committee had a complete vote that the games be walked over and the result stood.

The Evergreen team who finished second in the last season of the league came out strong against the Blue Ocean team and the newest addition to Blue Ocean in person of Akinwamide Oluwadamilare, who was listed to play for the team on the day, came an hour late to the event hence losing on the board to FM Agusto Funmilayo. Another walkover in favour of the Evergreen was on board 6, where Blue Ocean had no available under-16 on their board.

3 comments

For Team Saxx, Bamidele had an opponent and they played on board 6. It wasn’t a case of w/o. Also the “boy flouted the rule of setting the clock by himself” not the way you put it. Nice write up and great pictures.